Ethics of Vaccination in Childhood—A Framework Based on the Four Principles of Biomedical Ethics
Although vaccination is recognised as the top public health achievement of the twentieth century, unequivocal consensus about its beneficence does not exist among the general population. In countries with well-established immunisation programmes, vaccines are “victims of their own success”, because...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-02-01
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| Series: | Vaccines |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/9/2/113 |
| _version_ | 1797416424518451200 |
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| author | Meta Rus Urh Groselj |
| author_facet | Meta Rus Urh Groselj |
| author_sort | Meta Rus |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Although vaccination is recognised as the top public health achievement of the twentieth century, unequivocal consensus about its beneficence does not exist among the general population. In countries with well-established immunisation programmes, vaccines are “victims of their own success”, because low incidences of diseases now prevented with vaccines diminished the experience of their historical burdens. Increasing number of vaccine-hesitant people in recent years threatens, or even effectively disables, herd immunity levels of the population and results in outbreaks of previously already controlled diseases. We aimed to apply a framework for ethical analysis of vaccination in childhood based on the four principles of biomedical ethics (respect for autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence and justice) to provide a comprehensive and applicable model on how to address the ethical aspects of vaccination at both individual and societal levels. We suggest finding an “ethical equilibrium”, which means that the degree of respect for parents’ autonomy is not constant, but variable; it shall depend on the level of established herd immunity and it is specific for every society. When the moral obligation of individuals to contribute to herd immunity is not fulfilled, mandatory vaccination policies are ethically justified, because states bear responsibility to protect herd immunity as a common good. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T06:04:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-29aabea8bc934a52b5ce6f0e3323eefc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-393X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T06:04:02Z |
| publishDate | 2021-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Vaccines |
| spelling | doaj.art-29aabea8bc934a52b5ce6f0e3323eefc2023-12-03T12:05:44ZengMDPI AGVaccines2076-393X2021-02-019211310.3390/vaccines9020113Ethics of Vaccination in Childhood—A Framework Based on the Four Principles of Biomedical EthicsMeta Rus0Urh Groselj1University Children’s Hospital, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Bohoričeva 20, 1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaDepartment of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, University Children’s Hospital, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Bohoričeva 20, 1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaAlthough vaccination is recognised as the top public health achievement of the twentieth century, unequivocal consensus about its beneficence does not exist among the general population. In countries with well-established immunisation programmes, vaccines are “victims of their own success”, because low incidences of diseases now prevented with vaccines diminished the experience of their historical burdens. Increasing number of vaccine-hesitant people in recent years threatens, or even effectively disables, herd immunity levels of the population and results in outbreaks of previously already controlled diseases. We aimed to apply a framework for ethical analysis of vaccination in childhood based on the four principles of biomedical ethics (respect for autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence and justice) to provide a comprehensive and applicable model on how to address the ethical aspects of vaccination at both individual and societal levels. We suggest finding an “ethical equilibrium”, which means that the degree of respect for parents’ autonomy is not constant, but variable; it shall depend on the level of established herd immunity and it is specific for every society. When the moral obligation of individuals to contribute to herd immunity is not fulfilled, mandatory vaccination policies are ethically justified, because states bear responsibility to protect herd immunity as a common good.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/9/2/113vaccinationchildrenbioethicsprinciples of biomedical ethicsautonomynonmaleficence |
| spellingShingle | Meta Rus Urh Groselj Ethics of Vaccination in Childhood—A Framework Based on the Four Principles of Biomedical Ethics Vaccines vaccination children bioethics principles of biomedical ethics autonomy nonmaleficence |
| title | Ethics of Vaccination in Childhood—A Framework Based on the Four Principles of Biomedical Ethics |
| title_full | Ethics of Vaccination in Childhood—A Framework Based on the Four Principles of Biomedical Ethics |
| title_fullStr | Ethics of Vaccination in Childhood—A Framework Based on the Four Principles of Biomedical Ethics |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ethics of Vaccination in Childhood—A Framework Based on the Four Principles of Biomedical Ethics |
| title_short | Ethics of Vaccination in Childhood—A Framework Based on the Four Principles of Biomedical Ethics |
| title_sort | ethics of vaccination in childhood a framework based on the four principles of biomedical ethics |
| topic | vaccination children bioethics principles of biomedical ethics autonomy nonmaleficence |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/9/2/113 |
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